I recently was in New York and had a chance to visit a number of restaurants. My observations:
- Because of the competitive nature of the area the restaurants standards of excellence exceed what I had anticipated.
- The food in most cases was over the top. Flavors and presentation were the best.
- Pricing in most instances was “reasonable” considering the cost of labor and occupancy.
- Décor and Environment – no limit to creativity.
- Merchandising – the deli displays were magnanimous. The appetizer bars were beautiful and tasted fabulous.
- Service – I found it to be gracious in a New York fashion, prompt, helpful, and most had a good attitude.
- Management – always visible and helpful to staff.
- Concept-clarity – most restaurants have their own niche and don’t try to be everything to everybody.
I could go on but it would be superfluous. My point is that all of us need to examine where our restaurant is. Rate the above items yourself. Have your staff do so. Have some key customers do this as well. I bet you will be surprised at the results.
Now, what are you going to do to raise the bar at your establishment? Service training, food reviews, design reviews, Brand/concept review, pricing strategy, merchandising the Brand and management effectiveness. Obviously this is not a one day project done by just one person. It requires thorough planning, establishing objectives, bringing in outside opinions and ideas, management involvement, etc.
What will the results of this be? Increased sales, decreased costs, increased efficiencies, better Brand, stronger market acceptance, etc. Only good can come from this. Is it worth the effort? Based on what I saw, I would say so.
For help and/or assistance with establishing a game plan, contact us.